FITKIN MEMORIAL CELEBRATES WITH CHARLES JOHNSON

More than 500 people gathered in Meridian, Mississippi to celebrate the 44th anniversary of Dr. Charles Johnson as pastor of the Meridian Fitkin Memorial Church of the Nazarene. It was also the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the church.

Dr. Charles Johnson is a native of Orlando, Florida. He came to Meridian, Mississippi in 1961 having graduated from the Nazarene Bible College in Institute, West Virginia, and did further studies in Church Planting at Fuller Institute, Pasadena, CA. He completed Management Training at O.I.C. Academy of Management Training. Dr. Johnson received an honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from Trevecca Nazarene University, Nashville, Tennessee.

Dr. Johnson founded the Meridian Action Committee, the local Civil Rights group that helped to desegregate the lunch counters, restaurants, movie theaters and etc. Under the leadership of Dr. Johnson, the Meridian Action Committee helped to break down discrimination in hiring practices in local department stores, grocery stores and convenient stores. The Meridian Action Committee used boycotts and picketing to accomplish these victories. Dr. Johnson led the picketing of Meridian City Hall against police brutality until policemen stopped beating blacks unmercifully.

Dr. Charles Johnson met and marched with Dr. Martin Luther King and Dr. Ralph Abernathy. He was the counselor for two of the three civil right workers that were killed in Neshoba County.

In 1972 Johnson helped to organize the Meridian O.I.C., a job training and job placement program. Through O.I.C. doors were open to place people in banks and corporate offices in Meridian and elsewhere. He was appointed to the National Man Power Board by President Jimmy Carter and served on the Mississippi’s Governors Colonel Staff.

When Johnson became the pastor of the church there were 10 children and 3 adults. At this event, 2 of the children were there, now well to do adults living in the Chicago area. It was also noted that 26 persons have been called into ministry through Johnson’s leadership, among them Charles Tillman of Woodville Richmond COTN, Bob Lanier of Community of Hope COTN, and Gary Houston of Meridian Fitkin Memorial.